Interactive Refrigeration Cycle

Click each component to see how refrigerant moves through the system and learn what each part does.

VoSKILL Academy
HVAC Technician

The Refrigerant Cycle

How an air conditioner moves heat from inside the house to outside

Inside the house 75°F Outside 90°F Evaporator indoor coil room heat cool vapor out Compressor the pump: squeezes vapor, raises pressure Condenser outdoor coil heat dumped hot vapor in Metering device the pinch: drops pressure, liquid flashes cold High side: hot, high pressure Low side: cold, low pressure suction 235 psig head 652 psig
Low sideHigh sideR-410A
235psig
Suction pressure
652psig
Head pressure
40°F
Evaporator boiling temp
115°F
Condensing temp
50°F
Suction line temp (10° superheat)
105°F
Liquid line temp (10° subcooling)

walks through all four stages, 8 seconds each
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Why It Matters

Every air conditioner, heat pump, refrigerator, and freezer uses the refrigeration cycle. Understanding these four components is one of the first building blocks in HVAC.

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